"snow" day

We had our first snow of the season on Monday. It was just a small dusting but that didn't stop Isabel. The minute she saw the snow at 7am, she insisted that she put her new boots, coats and mittens on and go play in the snow. I'm glad that we had made the trip to the mall last week to pick up some winter gear at LL Bean.

I think Isabel has a false sense as to how often it snows. She clearly remembers all the snow we had last winter and keeps asking about the snow and when the snow is going to come back.

Buescher Blog to go "private" in 2011

As the year 2010 comes to an end, I've starting thinking about the "r" word...you know, resolutions. I usually don't make new years resolutions, but am hoping to make and follow through with one this year. I'm resolving to blog more. Not for those of you who read the blog (though hopefully it will be a bonus for the few that do follow - mainly the grandparents & uncles), but for me and the girls. I've been really bad on recording milestones, pictures and lets not even mention the word baby book. I do have a lot of things I'd like to remember, like the fact that Mia started clapping Thanksgiving morning for Uncle Romes and waved goodbye to Geoffrey as he left for work yesterday. So by making the blog just as much about writing as the pictures, I can record little snippets of our life, and someday when I have more free time, I can use the blog to remember what and when things happened, and put those memories into a scrapbook for the girls, just like the detailed books Carla and I used to spend hours on back in our VT days.

Since I'm not really keen on having random people reading whatever it is I might be sharing, and I know Geoffrey's never been entirely comfortable about the public nature of the blog, I'll be turning on the private setting come January. If you'd like to be able to view the blog and its new random nature after that date, please shoot me an email or leave a comment (as long as you are a friend or relative, I'll already have your email address so no need to post it), and I'll add you to the list.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season. Our tree is up, the bottom half being very tree heavy after Isabel loving placed each non-breakable ornament on the tree. A yellow construction paper star tops the tree. "Mommy, we need a star on our Christmas tree, just like on Charlie Brown" and some garland I picked up at CVS a few years ago winds its way along the tree. It might not make the cover of Martha Stewart Living, but it is my favorite decorated tree to date :). I can only imagine how good it will look next year when both girls get to decorate it. Have I mentioned how much I love having daughters? :)

And with that, little Mia seems to be up from her nap. Today was her 9 month check-up, complete with shots, so I'm guessing she is a bit sore.

Family Pictures

When you get bad at blogging what do you do..."pay" someone to do it for you! We had family pictures taken on Saturday at the house by the very talented Susan Solo. You can check out her blog post and some of the great moments she captured here.

http://www.susansolo.com/blog/?p=1740

Maybe over Thanksgiving I'll post some of what we've been up to...but I wouldn't hold your breath :).

September catch-up

Fall is here and I'm not sure where September has gone, but here are some pictures of the past month.

2 weekends ago we headed south to Richmond for a wedding followed by a quick trip to VA Beach for the airshow. Victoria stopped by before we left and surprised Isabel with this Virginia Tech tutu. Isabel was so excited and has loved dancing and twirling around the house in it. I think it compliments the jersey quite well :). She also brought a VT bow for Mia, which I need to fashion to a headband and will look a little better than my homemade one.

I'll have to leave the airshow pictures up to Geoffrey. Isabel spent most of the day with Geoffrey and Grandpa Buescher at the airshow, while Mia and I hung out at home with Grandma Buescher. We all had a great time but agree the trip was too short.

A few days later Grandma and Grandpa Schaeffer flew into town. I didn't take many pictures, but did get a few of the girls doing some fun things after watching the game on Saturday.

Mia really enjoys watching the pugs and this was one of her first chances she has had to snuggle with Gizmo (who seems to be her favorite). She loved getting to sit with him, wack him and pet him.

Isabel enjoyed her first taste of kettle corn at the St. Mark Fall Festival on Sunday. She was not a fan of the cotton candy that I tried to give her as a special treat. Oh well, that just meant I got to eat it all :).

Isabel enjoys mimicking mommy, as I am often pushing on of the girls in the stroller and wearing the other in the Ergo.

Monday we spent most of the day in the playroom, as it was very rainy. Mia was playing on the floor when Isabel decided to snuggle with her...and then asked if I could take a picture of her with Mia. I took quite a few and got a few winners.

Isabel is loving life as a panda bear (her new classroom) and is taking dance class there on Tuesday which she seems to be enjoying. Mia is getting used to her new classroom, but doesn't seem to have an interest in sleeping there. Mia has her first tooth and is working on a second. She also has crawled in short spurts and can go from laying on her belly to sitting up all by herself. I've begun the task of baby proofing Isabel's toys (moving all the small, choking hazards to tubs out of Isabel's reach that will only be done with supervision), since it won't be long before Mia is into everything.

It's Hokie Season

My babies are getting big! Carla snapped these great pictures of the girls over the weekend at a couple different pre-football game events. Although the hokies didn't win on Monday, these pictures have helped to lessen the blow :).

Normally, I am not a fan of bows...but Monday Mia just looked too much like a boy in her VT romper, so I made up a VT bow for her. I think it will be making an appearance for all the games.

And here is Isabel, looking quite grown up, driving her golf cart a neighbor passed onto us.

Time seems to be flying. Mia started to school with Isabel Monday and it is nice to have them both in one place. Isabel is now a Panda Bear and Mia is a Junior Infant. The girls are doing well and both are thriving. Isabel continues to be a little chatterbox and is constantly asking questions. Mia is sitting up for longer periods of time and is already getting up on her hands and knees and trying to move forward. She had her 6mo appt this past Wednesday and measured at 27"...which is the 90th percentile. Another tall Buescher girl!

Booster Seat Test Drive

It's almost time for Mia to start solids...so hard to believe! During Isabel's later than usual nap on Wednesday, I pulled out the booster seat, gave it a cleaning and let Mia test drive it. I think she liked it...provided that Mermaid and green bean are on the menu!

Isabel's First Trip to Chuck E Cheese

(and we're back). It appears neither of the grandmas could view the videos on the mac site, so no need to pay for a service. Back to blogger we go.

This will be a quick post and I may go back and play catchup on the past month, or might not. We'll see.

Anyways, for Isabel's 2nd birthday, Uncle Eric had "given" Isabel a date for Chuck E Cheese. This past Friday, Eric took the day off and I dropped Eric and Isabel off at Chuck E Cheese, then went to the mall and was on stand by, should he need something...mainly if Isabel had an accident (she is about 90% potty trained).

Isabel had a great time, though preferred the rides and slide to the games. Uncle Eric did get a chance to play some of the "big kid games" and won enough tickets for Isabel to come home with some great prizes - a bracelet, a ring with a foot on it, a foam block, a rubber fix and a top. The morning was finished off with lunch at her beloved Chick-fil-a, and Unc even joined us, since we were right over by Orbital. Eric still has over half the tokens he purchased, so I envision another trip later this year. Below are a few pictures that Eric got with his camera phone.

Uncle Eric and Isabel will all of her prizes

We've Moved

No, not our house...but our blog.

I'm not sure if this will be the permanent web address or not, but for at least the next 60 days you can see updates and pictures here...

http://web.me.com/buescherfamilyblog/Site/Blog/Blog.html

A little catching up...

I knew things would start getting a bit crazy as I prepped to go back to work, but didn't think I'd go this long without an update...oops.



We have a busy and fun-filled weekend ahead as we will be celebrating Mia's baptism on Saturday. Both sets of Grandparents and Uncle Romes will be arriving on Friday and we can't wait to have so much family together.

Isabel has loved shoes since the minute she knew what one was. I had forgotten to take the shoes upstairs that I had worn in Coelle's wedding over Memorial Day. I was getting lunch ready when I hear "clunk, clunk, clunk" on the tile floor in the foyer. I come out and this is what I see.

I managed to get a quick video as well, but will have to post that later. I asked her where she was going (since she was walking away for me) and her answer was the typical "going shopping." I asked her what she was shopping for and her answer "some new shoes." Sigh...I am not a big shoe person so no idea where she gets it from!

Now that Mia can sit in the bumbo for longer periods of time it makes it easier to get soem sitting up photos. Getting them to smile at the same time though is a bit trickier and something I have not yet mastered.

On June 6 we headed up to Baltimore to celebrate cousin Jack's high school graduation. Isabel had a great time at the graduation...when most people were getting bored of the name calling, she was still excited to clap for each and every graduate.

During the speeches, Isabel was occupied by my cell phone. "you there?" as she likes to say?

Isabel "had" to bring her hokie bird...though really we encouraged her to, as Jack will be attending UVA in the fall.

After the graduation we went back to Aunt Monica and Uncle Howard's for dinner.
Isabel and Jack are buddies. She even shared her precious duck (given to her by Aunt Monica) with him. Or maybe it was just to distract Jack so she could play with his girlfriend, Audrey.
Every graduate needs a massage, right?

After dinner Isabel announced "All done. Want to go play with those dogs!" So Ben was happy to join Isabel on the sheepy (a sheep skin rug) and play with Buster and Lola (not pictured). Geoffrey took this picture as he couldn't stop laughing at the fact that I was finishing Isabel's milk after she was done.

Isabel still loves to be a big sister and help Mia. On one of our morning stroller rides she thought Mia needed her hippo.

She is also good about rocking the car seat while I get my shoes on before we head out to get in the stroller.
Isabel loves her easel, and it is really neat to see her trying to draw differing things

Future engineer? Isabel loved helping me take the plastic feet out on this chair so that I could put felt on it.

Geoffrey had been out of town (his second trip in 3 weekds), so Isabel and I made him a welcome home sign...I didn't think I would get her back inside though. She now loves sidewalk chalk!

Geoffrey brought Isabel a shirt back that says "chocks away" and has 3 airplanes on it. As you can guess, she loved it.

Isabel was running a low grade fever on Saturday and decided to take a nap at 10:30 in the morning and wound up sleeping on the couch for 3 hours. This is the first time she has ever fallen asleep by deciding that is what she wanted to do and napping on a couch. I'm still not sure how she didn't fall off, since she moves around a ton in her big bed.
Daddy and Mia spent some time catching up by "watching" the world cup.
Happy 28th birthday Unc! Isabel and I made him a carrot cake.

Our sweet little Mia, just as happy as can be :).